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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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"Isn't he wonderful?"
— exploring the contribution and conceptualization of older husbands as carers | | Author(s) | Alisoun Milne, Eleni Hatzidimitriadou |
| Journal title | Ageing International, vol 28, no 4, Fall 2003 |
| Pages | pp 389-407 |
| Keywords | Husbands as carers ; Social surveys. |
| Annotation | This paper draws together evidence from the British General Household Survey (GHS) for 2000 and social research on older husbands as carers. The authors' "Caring in later life review" (2001) confirmed existing evidence that about equal numbers of husbands and wives provide intensive care. It has been argued that within late-life marriage, an over-riding desire to retain independence erodes gender-determined task allocation, suggesting not only similarity but equality between wives and husbands as carers. More recent qualitative research challenges this assumption, and suggests two key findings: that older husbands are motivated to care by a combination of marital duty and reciprocal love, and that they manage the tasks within an instrumental framework. Further, it is clear that pre-existing gender relations continue to be powerful determinants of the experience of caring, and that marital power is retained by men in late-life marriage. Overall, the caring contribution of older husbands is imbued with positive meaning, is highly valued, and offers a distinctive role and identity. This contrasts with the caring experiences of older wives. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-041202206 A |
| Classmark | P6:SNA: 3F |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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